Miami-Dade Approves Increase in Resident Garbage Collection Fees – NBC 6 South Florida
The garbage discussion dominated Wednesday’s Miami-Dade County Commission meeting, as county leaders considered where to build a new garbage incinerator and voted to approve higher collection fees for residents.
The county’s old incinerator, located in Doral, caught fire in February, severely affecting waste drainage. The facility incinerated about 1,000,000 tons of garbage each year – about half of the garbage collected annually in Miami-Dade County.
One of the proposed sites for the new landfill is the site of the old Opa-Locka West Airport, near the intersection of Krome Avenue and Okeechobee Road. Speaking at the commission meeting, Miramar Mayor Wayne Messam said the location was a concern for residents because it was only a mile from Miramar.
“Imagine it standing in your backyard no matter what you’re going to hear – maybe it’s not emitting black smoke, it might not smell as bad as some of the modern facilities built years ago, just, because it’s invisible.” “That doesn’t mean it’s not a nuisance,” Messam said.
But Doral’s mayor said his city was done housing one of the county’s largest landfills. In the past, residents around the facility have complained about the smell.
“We’ve been paying the price for over 20 years,” Mayor Rafael Pineyro said. “I think it’s about time the Miami-Dade commissioners did the right thing for the residents of Doral.”
Two other sites are also being considered for the landfill. The environmental protection agency is involved in the decision.
The commissioners also approved an increase in the garbage quota for residents on Wednesday. The garbage collection fee increase adds $36 to the current annual fee of $509. This is in part due to rising operational, labor and global recycling costs, exacerbated by the long-term impact of the pandemic.
The increase would also offset the costs of the recycling program and other waste services that operate for over 366,176 homes.
Some commissioners insisted on not raising taxes and fees, including Commissioner Kevin M. Cabrera, who argued that residents were already facing several challenges due to inflation. He suggested temporarily shutting down the existing recycling program, calling it ineffective.
“Let’s find ways to do better,” he said in a previous interview with NBC6.
Other commissioners, including County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, said the investment is necessary to keep Miami-Dade County’s garbage collection service running.
